The society of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has sent a letter to iconic Australian band Hunters & Collectors requesting that they change their name out of compassion as duck-hunting season begins in the country.

Following some cordial salutations from PETA’s Associate Director of Campaigns, Ashley Fruno, the letter — posted to PETA’s website this morning — gets right down to it, propositioning the band with “a request that may help save lives: Would you consider changing the name of your band to discourage people from hunting animals?”

“We feel sure it was never your intention to promote the killing of intelligent, sensitive, and defenceless animals, but your name may nevertheless make hunting seem appealing to your fans,” Fruno wrote.

“Nearly 300,000 Australian waterbirds face an agonising death during hunting season, which opens in Victoria and Tasmania next week and is already underway in South Australia … Horrifyingly, one in every four ducks shot is left to die slowly and painfully, sometimes of starvation or thirst, and many birds considered ‘legal game’ will be killed in the crossfire.”

The letter goes on to suggest that, with the band’s Adelaide reunion show swiftly approaching (they play the Clipsal 500 this Saturday, 4 March), alternative monikers could include “Hunters & Collectors of Antiques”, “Hunters & Collectors of Vinyl Records” or even “Hunters & Collectors of Beer Cans”.

“You could even enlist the help of your fans to crowdsource the holy grail of names on social media,” the letter reads.

In an accompanying statement, Fruno described a potential name change as “a win-win situation”.

“The name would no longer be synonymous with animal suffering, and the move would help persuade people to aim for less violent hobbies,” she said.

The Music has contacted Hunters & Collectors’ representatives for comment on the request.

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